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rhinocap
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| Posted: Apr 5 2008, 08:29 AM |
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It appears that the African Parks organisation is actively pursueing capture of the last wild northern white rhinos for an intensive boma based breeding programme. I assume the plan devised at the special rhino meeting in September last year has borne out fruit.
I just wonder whether any of the individuals listed below were actually invited for this critical meeting to address the continued survival of this now critically endangered taxon:
1) Did the Dvur Kralove rhino manager attend?
2) Did the EEP White Rhino studbook keeper attend (or has he been approached following on to the meeting)?
3) Did the IZW people from Berlin attend (essential in any intensive breeding operations)?
It would be essential for any last ditch attempt to safeguard the future of this taxon that the wildlife ecology community work together with the captive-breeding community. A previous attempt failed miserably due to widely differing views on how to manage the species and substantially increase their numbers.
My personal view is that it would be for the best to relocate the last northern whites from Garamba to a safe intensive rhino reserve. That either gives either Ziwa in Uganda (being in its former range) or Lewa Downs (most experienced at breeding and handling rhinos) in Kenya as the best alternatives.
It is also my view that sooner rather than later - the suggested plans by the Dvur zoologist and keepers should come to fruition. If and when this happens, the EEP white rhino studbook keeper should be acknowledged and involved in the entire process and it should be an integral part of the EEP to financially support the intensive breeding management scheme (with equal acknowledgement by the wildlife community vis a vis the contribution of captive managers to this initiative.
I suppose Irek and his seniors will wholeheartedly agree on this.
Jelle
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DZiegler
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| Posted: Apr 5 2008, 12:27 PM |
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Interesting comments. I generally agree on relocation.
If the safety of the animals cannot be guaranteed then the whole effort runs the risk of failure. I also agree the initiative must be collaborative on all levels.
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Tom
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| Posted: Apr 7 2008, 08:44 PM |
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Thanks for the information guys. Let's hope they succeed in saving the northern whites... That would be such great news! I will be following the African Parks monthly reports very closely to check if there is more news from Garamba.
Greetings,
Tom
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DZiegler
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| Posted: Apr 11 2008, 12:50 AM |
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fyi 3/10/2008 Newsweek article by Sharon Begley documents the role of the Janjaweed in the catastrophic poaching of the northern white rhino at Garamba in 2003. The article is on line at the Newsweek website.
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Willem
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DZiegler
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| Posted: Apr 19 2008, 11:52 AM |
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Interesting census numbers on the northern white rhino. I agree with WWF. However it is still clear (from this report) that relocation to Kenya (or Uganda) is essential for the survival of the remaining animals. This is a good time for NGO's to work together and launch funding appeals to support this work. At the same time, I think the general public really needs to see more about the realities of the wildlife trade. I personally have decided to increase my IRF committment this year. But, I also financially support WWF.
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rhinocap
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| Posted: May 23 2008, 09:23 PM |
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Pete Morkel has done some reconaissance over Garamba in April with the new Garamba guards. No sign of NWR's has been logged in over 1 month. A news report has been put out that NWR is extinct in the wild.
The APF website (April report) states it requires another 4-5 months of intensive rhino searches before anything concrete can be put forward. However, given that Pete Morkel could not not, does not bode well for the immediate future ...
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DZiegler
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| Posted: May 28 2008, 10:53 AM |
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Thanks for the info. Seems clear from the April APF report that assessment alone of the remaining wild population of NWR's is huge task which the Park may not have adequate resources to complete. This report underscores the necessity of maintaining a captive population of these animals.
At the same time I am not sure I saw a written abstract from the Rhino May Day regarding the status of NWRs.
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irek
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| Posted: Jun 14 2008, 04:54 PM |
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Hello,
I have some information from Dvur Kralove Zoo. Since couple of days male Sudan (oldest male, wild born) is joined with all - 4 females. It seems like he's chosen Fatu (the youngest female, born in 2000) as a partner. Now my colleagues are waiting till her oestrum for any results.
So keep Your fingers crossed.
Best regards
Irek
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Feddi
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| Posted: Jun 15 2008, 09:32 PM |
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Thanks for the info.
Will keep them crossed!
Best of luck!
Best Wishes
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Tom
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| Posted: Jun 17 2008, 08:15 PM |
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Hi Irek, hi everyone,
Wouldn't that be great news if the rhinos decide to make another baby 'the natural way'.
Definitely keep us posted Irek. I'm very curious to find out how it turns out.
Concerning garamba: still no rhinos according to the African Park monthly report of May. But they're deploying an expert rhino tracker to help them. Let's hope they succeed in finding the animals.
Greetz,
Tom
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DZiegler
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| Posted: Jun 18 2008, 12:43 AM |
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fyi Both CNN and CBS announced yesterday the same story that the remaining few northern white rhinos in Garamba have not been located. If true, this development closes the book on any free ranging nwr's in the Garamba. The drama, mystery and concern about this subspecies however will continue. The responsibility for the future of this rhinoceros group may now shift entirely to those that manage and care for them in captive populations. This is an awesome task and deserves much respect and support.
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Feddi
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| Posted: Jun 18 2008, 08:15 PM |
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Very sad
The IRF veb side says they are most likely extinct in the wild.
What a shame, Garamba NP will loose it´s status as a world heritage side.
Shame the government did not act when there was still some tiny hope.
Would be nice if anything positive happened in the Check republic.
The White southern subspecies is however going from strength to strength. Last year more than 17.000.
All the Very Best
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rhinocap
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| Posted: Jun 18 2008, 08:53 PM |
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It is never good to point fingers but the Congo authorities bear the brunt in failing to address the poaching threat from 2003 onwards. Had they acknowledged previously that given the insurgency of Sudan Janjaweed militias and Uganda's Lord's Resistence Army the northern white rhino would not have beeh single-handedly killed off as a taxon. What an epitaph for both next to their atrocities committed against humanity in general. Personally, I would have wished that substantial and armed intervention forces would have been deployed to both Sudan and Uganda to prevent both militias from committing these crimes against humanity and our wildlife and other natural resources. In my view these are some of the worst criminals on earth, yet the politicians who rule let them all walk free .....
The current outlook for Ceratotherium simum cottoni is extremely dim and if the rhino tracker from S.Africa will not find any trace of rhino spoor inside Garamba within the next 2-3 months (it will have gone the same road as the western black rhino in Cameroon) in the wild.
All we are then left with is a handful in Dvur - of which only perhaps 1.2 are reproductively viable - and 2 elderly rhinos in San Diego. To come back from that precipice will require a leap of faith in technological achievement in the next 1-5 years by the IZW staff and firm establishment of in-vitro and egg transfer technology to impregnate these into surrogate southern whites Ceratotherium s. simum.
Will this many surrogate southern whites be available? Will the current studbook keeper Lars Versteege support this particular course of action?
I would like to know now!
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irek
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northern white rhinos
